Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. I remind the minister that the Intergenerational report projects a decline in labour force participation over the next 40 years. So, Minister, what steps is the government taking to counter this trend and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bowman for his question, because he knows that it is important that it is business as usual when it comes to our welfare challenges. It is not something that is sustainable in the future. He also knows that it takes eight out of 10 income tax payers to go to work every day to pay that welfare bill. He also knows that the people who go to work to pay taxes every day know that the best form of welfare is a job and our task is to get as many Australians as we can off the welfare payroll and onto an employer's payroll.

It was good news last week when we learnt that 150,000 new jobs were created in the past year, getting people into jobs. That is what this government is doing—150,000 new jobs in the 12 months to the end of February. But you cannot be complacent about these things because, as the Intergenerational report shows, we will have to work even harder to keep more Australians actively involved in the labour force as time goes on. The Abbott government is working hard to set up Australians for success when it comes to being involved in the labour force and succeeding in work. There are three key measures that we are working on. The first one is the jobs package that will come forward from this government, which will seek to help young people transition into work and to deal with one very serious problem which requires serious debate in this place, not the constant opposition of those opposite, where we have out-of-work 15- to 20-year-olds who are 4½ times more likely to be out of work when they are aged 25 to 30. So if they are out of work when they are 15 to 20 and you cannot get them into work when they are aged 25 to 30, they can be written off on welfare for life. That is what the jobs package will deliver against.

There is also the families package where we are working to make the equation better for families who need to get back into work and stay in work when they have children. We are working hard to deliver on that package as well. Then there is the Intergenerational report and our response where we are encouraging Australians to work longer and extend their working life. Why? Because it is in their interests. When people are healthier and are able to, and when we can support ourselves and continue to contribute in the way that people of that generation have over a lifetime, then we want to encourage them to do that.

I am asked what the alternative approaches are. There have not been any alternative approaches from the other side put forward. It is a 'Festival of No Ideas' from the Leader of the Opposition. We continue the debate. We have a shadow ministry of shoulder shrugging. Every single time they are asked: how are you going to pay for it, what are you going to do or to even come up with an idea, the shoulders go up and down for the rest of the day. (Time expired)